"In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: Not necessarily to Win, but mainly to keep from Losing Completely"
- Hunter S. Thompson.

The Meta

More donations….At today’s Senate Blue Ribbon hearing on Binay’s colorful life, whistleblower Ernesto Mercado upped the ante by donating to the government a 4 hectare property inside the Binay Hacienda, a property that Binay titled in Mercado’s name when they were still friends. And to top it off, Mercado revealed that Binay owned several condos under the name of his associates. One condo was titled in the name of a certain Eng, Ariel Olivar.

Look at the placards of Gabriela. “Justice for Jennifer Laude. Junk VFA” Other mini-rallies in front of the US Embassy and at the UP campus had similar placards.

Justice for Jennifer Laude that is what one would call for if one truly cared about justice for Jennifer Laude. But when one adds “Junk VFA” written in bold red letters seemingly larger than the font used in “Justice for Jennifer Laude” then the tragedy that befell Jennifer is reduced to being a means to an end. Her coffin becomes a political soapbox.

The same thing happened when a UP student committed suicide. There was very little discussion on understanding suicide because know-it-alls already knew what drove her to kill herself – it was the unequal distribution of wealth, it was anti-poor policies, and on and on and on. Coffins as political soapboxes.

Let’s respect the dead. Let’s call for justice for Jennifer Laude. Let’s not victimize the victim by using her dead body as a vehicle to advance a political agenda. Please naman Gabirela and company, do not desecrate the dead.

NOTE: Iba ito sa let’s say the funeral of Ninoy Aquino. Ninoy was seen as a martyr, spontaneously and by millions. Etong ginagawa ng Kaliwa is creating a martyr. Big difference.

Dolphy was a good man who embodied the common Filipino: he loved deeply, knew the value of humor, respected his fellowmen, and was always ready to face any challenge life threw at him. He came from a generation that went through a lot of trials—and the struggle taught him to be humble, honest, and helpful. He never turned his back on his peers; he never turned his back on the people who had propelled him toward success.

Throughout his life, Dolphy showed that hope and happiness always lie at the other side of adversity; he knew that any problem can be overcome through a positive outlook. He did not only revolutionize the entertainment industry; he also changed our national consciousness for the better: through his art, he extended our worldviews, and gave us the ability to reflect on, value, and find joy in the daily realities of Filipino life.

I, along with my family and the rest of our administration, join the Quizon family in mourning. The passing of Rodolfo Quizon Sr.—our King of Comedy—is a truly sorrowful moment for a nation that, for so long, found happiness in his work.